into the future, you’re going to do well.”
This perspective coincides with the club’s motto — hold on and be patient — and explains why the ladies still meet monthly despite the fact that their portfolio, which includes Playtex, General Electric, Pfizer, Cisco, and Home Depot, hasn’t had great gains during its first five years.
The members of BE-WISE have invested $17,500 since the club’s inception — roughly $2,000 more than the current value of their portfolio. The club’s five-year total return is a disappointing -13.7%, but the ladies remain confident. “We decided, as a part of our philosophy, that whatever we buy, we’re going to hold for five years,” says Janis Burnett, 50, the club’s treasurer. “And that’s what we intend to continue doing.”
BE-WISE Investment Club Top Holdings
| Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) | 33% |
| Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) | 19 % |
| Univision Communications Inc. (NYSE: UVN) | 8.5% |
| Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) | 13% |
| General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) | 11.5% |